Deliver Me From Darkness
by Celtic Storm
Summary: Jenna thought she was just a normal teenager. Nothing special. But someone somewhere decided she was unique and he would stop at nothing to make her his.
1. You are mine

The dream was so intense. His breath was hot on my neck and I could feel a bit of moisture collect in the valley between my neck and my shoulder, as if my skin were ice cold. I know his was. It was freezing and white as fresh laid snow. And it was almost transparent. I could see the veins running blue beneath the surface. He began to nibble at the nape of my neck and I closed my eyes, basking in the pleasure his touch was giving me. I noticed then, as he remained there, that his hands were becoming warmer and the hue of his skin was becoming flushed with crimson. I began to bite my lip in absolute ecstasy, and, unintentionally, drew blood from my own skin. When he pulled back and hovered over me, I noticed a tiny, red river running from the corner of his mouth. I touched my finger to it as he lay one of his own on the small wound I had inflicted on myself. I could feel a warm, syrup like, liquid trickling from my neck, down my shoulder and onto the bed. I knew it was blood, but I did not panic. 

'You are mine,' he whispered, and I could feel myself nod as he lowered his bloodied lips to mine." I noticed then that my friends, who had been listening attentively to my erotic fantasy, were staring at me, eyes wide, and mouths gaping. "And then I woke up." I finished. There was silence. "What?" I asked.

"I think," my friend Jill said, "I just...shat myself." The rest of us laughed.

"Wow, Jen," my best friend Ashley gasped. "Please, feel free to invite me into your dreams anytime."

"Oh please," I heard my friend Sarah, or Cynical Sarah, as I called her, say in disgust. "She dreamt about doing the dirty with a vampire. Since when is THAT sexy?"

"Oh, ye of little lust." Jill said. "I thought it was hot...lucky girl."

"Sex dreams are the best." Ashley joked. "Have your fun and wake up without worrying about an STD or pregnancy."

"OR in this case, becoming one of the undead." Jill interjected.

"Yea, or that." Ashley conceded. She must have noticed then that I was deep in thought. "Jen...you with us?"

"No, she's still in la la land with Count Dracula." My head snapped up and my heart fluttered. For a reason unknown to me,  
that name deeply affected me.

"Well," Ash said. "Unfortunately it is time to wake up."

"Sorry," I said. "I just...I don't know. The dream was so...so REAL you know? Like when I woke up, it felt like he was still there. I could still feel his mouth on my skin."

"Oh, stop, my hormones!" Jill joked. Then she realized I was being serious. She could tell I was troubled. "Hey," she said softly, "It was just a dream. You'll forget about it in time."

"Don't know why you would want to." Ashley said. "But you will." I nodded. Suddenly, the bell rang. Sarah, Ashley, and Jill left with a quick goodbye. Before I got up, however, I paused to look in my compact mirror. I threw my hair back off of my shoulders then went to re-apply my lipstick. Suddenly, I saw them...two...red...marks...right at the nape of my neck.

TBC


	2. Deliver me from this darkness

I stared at the markings in disbelief, knowing they couldn't possibly have been there. It was just a dream! Vampires did not exist. It was impossible. My immediate reaction, then, was to dismiss them, attribute their existance to the lingering fantasy, and go about my day, hoping they would disappear. They didn't. 

At first I argued with myself on whether or not I should clue my friends in on the mystery marks. I left them at the end of the day with hardly a word spoken. I needed to go home first. I needed to clear my head before I decided to tell anyone anything.

I arrived at home and found that the house was empty. My mother was still at work and my father, who worked from home, must have stepped out. I was relieved at that...I was in no mood for questions. And the first thing I did was head to the bathroom to look in the mirror. I closed the door behind me. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion as I gently pulled back the collar of my shirt. My heart jumped when I saw that the marks had finally disappeared. I breathed a sigh,  
though not really from relief. Something strange was going on inside my head, and I hadn't the faintest idea why.

That night was restless for me. I slept, but it was not a peaceful sleep. My brain was wracked, yet again, with dreams of this man.

I was lying on a bed of clean, white satin, wearing a white lace nightgown. The long, bell sleeves hung gracefully, covering most of my hands and the skirt ended well past my feet. Something in my head told me I should run, that I should not remain there. But my heart shouted something entirely different...stay. I sat upright on the soft mattress and looked around the room. Mist swirled freely around me and wispy curtains made from some transparent fabric blew in an undetectable breeze.  
Suddenly, I felt air on my ear and heard the breath that produced it being exhaled with a sigh. I turned my head only to see his face a mere inch away from my own. His sharp eyes pierced through me as he seemed to appraise me with his glance.  
My first reaction was to fear him, but that seemed to quickly fade as I saw traces of raw emotion dance in his eyes. He raised a pale and cold hand to my face and whispered my name.

"_Jenna.."_

Suddenly, I replied with, "Dracula..."

And then he kissed me. The kiss was slow at first, but soon became impassioned and urgent. I found myself slipping beneath him as he positioned himself above me. I grabbed at his back, gripping at the black coat he wore. His lips moved to my ear again, and just like the first dream, he again whispered,_ "You are mine."_ As his lips trailed back to the same spot on my neck, he added, _"Please, deliver me from this darkness."_ Then, a sharp pain on my neck...and I awoke.

I ran all the way to Ashley's house which was not far away from my own. Grabbing tiny pebbles off of the walk, I tossed them up to her window. I could hear them as they hit the glass then bounced back to the ground below. Ashley appeared not too long after. "What's wrong?" she asked in a projected whisper.

"Come down! I need to talk to you, now!" I replied sharply.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." She was down the stairs and at the front door within a minute.

"What's up?" she asked.

"I had another dream." She rolled her eyes and sighed.

"You woke me up to rub another hot sex dream in my face?"

"No...Ashley...I think my dreams are real...I think Dracula is really coming to me at night." Ashley laughed.

"You're joking right? Jen, vampires...Dracula...none of it is real."

I did not reply. I just yanked my shirt back and revealed the same red marks.

TBC


	3. Just You

Ashley gasped as she clasped a hand to her mouth. She then placed her index and middle finger gently on the tiny pink circles.

"Oh, my God." She whispered. I pulled my shirt back over them.

"No...not quite." I replied with a defensive laugh. I needed to protect myself from the reality for fear I would not be able to handle the truth. The king of all the undead had set his bloodthirsty sights on me. How would I ever escape that type of power? "Let's walk." I suggested. Ashley nodded and followed me off of the porch.

As we started down the porch, Ashley kept glancing over at my neck, trying to catch another glimpse. She didn't believe what she saw the first time. I could hardly hold that against her. "This is unbelievable." She said.

"I know it is. But how am I getting these markings? He must be real. And he must want me for something. But what?"

"Has he...said anything to you in these dreams?" Ashley asked, her voice dripping in self doubt. I know she was sort of ashamed of herself for asking about something that in her mind, could not possibly be real. I nodded in response to her inquiry. 

"He tells me that I'm his. He begs me to 'deliver him from darkness,' whatever the hell that means. And the strange thing is, I know I should be scared of him. But in my dreams, I'm not. I don't put up any kind of a fight. He doesn't really give me a reason to."

"Jen, he's taking bites out of your neck."

"BUt it's the way he does it, Ash. I hardly feel the pain because he gets me so mesmerized with all of the other feelings he...creates."

"What kind of feelings?" She asked.

"You heard me when I was telling the dream at lunch today. He makes me feel...alive. When he touches me,it sets me on fire in places I never knew existed."

"Ok, that's a little too much information."

"No, no, I mean inside. He makes me feel wanted...loved, even."

"Loved? Jen, don't be ridiculous."

"Ashley-"

"No, you know what, this is nuts. I'm done humoring this. What you're experiencing are dreams...end of story."

"What about the marks?" I asked, feeling totally betrayed.

"I can't explain the marks, Jen, but I CAN tell you it has NOTHING to do with vampires, or Dracula. He's a myth, a legend.  
Nothing more."

"How can you be so sure? How do you know what Bram Stoker wrote all those years ago was not based off of an actual being?"

"Because...I don't know."

"Exactly. No one does. Dracula is real, Ashley, and he is after me. And if you won't help me...I guess I'll have to find someone who can." I began to walk away when Ashley called my name.

"Jenna," I turned. "Wait." She walked toward me and I met her half way. "Suppose you're right. Suppose Dracula is after you. How do you plan on stopping him? And what can I possibly do to help?" I sighed.

"That's just the thing, Ash. I don't know how I would stop him. I'm not even sure that I would have the strength to. From what I can tell in my dreams, he has more power over me than I can possibly handle. And to answer your second question, what could you possibly do to help." I sighed again and with a shrug said, "Maybe nothing. But is it too much to ask to have my best friend stand by me when I'm afraid?" Ashley sighed and shook her head. "That's all I ask. Now go home and get some sleep. I'm sorry I woke you."

"You don't want me to come home with you?" She asked. I shook my head.

"No, I'll be fine tonight. Just get some rest." Ashley nodded. She gave me a hug, then took one last look at my neck.

"The marks are almost gone." She said. 

"Yea, they don't last long." There was a brief moment of silence. "Good night." I said.

"Good night." Ashley answered. She turned back toward her house and I stayed in the street until she was gone from view.  
Even after she was gone, I remained there, deep in thought. But suddenly, I heard what sounded like footsteps behind me. I turned, but there was no one there. I started to walk, and the footsteps resumed. Again I turned, and again, there was only darkness. I feeling rested in the pit of my stomach that made me realize exactly who was following me. "What do you want"  
I yelled into the night. Suddenly, the haunting sound of a breath being exhaled, and a sensation of air being blown on my neck. 

"You.." I heard a voice whisper. I turned to find him, Dracula, standing before me, his face a mere inch away from mine.  
"Just you." 


	4. Be My Light

I didn't scream. I didn't run. Any normal person would have. BUt I was getting the aching feeling I was not normal. Perhaps that is why he chose me. 

I stood in awe of him as his gaze travelled over my body, appraising what he saw. Then, in his soft and haunting voice,  
he whispered, "Beautiful." I sucked in a heated breath at the word. Just the sight of him, the sound of his voice, was turning my blood into liquid fire. Silence fell once again, but in that silence I heard two different heartbeats...mine...and his.

"You sense it, don't you?" He asked. "The connection." He placed a gentle hand in the center of my chest, right over my heart. "You long to resist me...but you cannot." My body began to quake and shudder and he took me by both shoulders,  
drawing me into a surprisingly warm and tender embrace. "You don't have to fear me. I hve no desire to harm you"  
Somehow, I found words.

"What _do _you want with me?" I asked, remaining there in his arms, my head tucked safely beneath his chin.

"I want what you want. I've sensed your love for me, Jenna. You've been drawn to me. My desire is the same as yours.

"And what is my desire?"

"For you and I to become one being." I looked up at him. "Your blood courses through my veins even now. Without it, I do not think I would survive."

"And that is why you've been coming to me? For my blood?" I found that I was almost hurt by this, as if I was being used by some old boyfriend or something. He stroked my hair.

"It is the reason I remain. But it was your beauty and your loneliness that first drew me to you. You long to be loved. And I have not been loved in a very long time...betrayal comes at a very high price." It must have been clear that I was confused, so he elaborated. "Precisely, thirty pieces of silver." I gasped and drew back.

"You're Judas Iscariot?" He nodded.

"Five years ago, I sought revenge on my old friend...Jesus..." he flinched as if he had just suffered a blow to the heart. "For trapping me in this darkness I knew I could never escape. I fed on his children and created my own." He sighed. "But I grew weary of the battle with his omnipresense and longed for his forgiveness. But I was denied, just as I had been the first time. My sin was just too great by then." I had begun to approach him again as he related his talem and I found that he was more than willing to welcome my hand as it softly stroked his cheek. A tear of bright crimson blood trickled down his cheek, and I caught it with my finger. He seemed touched by the gesture. "I have given up on Him now." He whispered.  
"Now I too have felt the sting of betrayal...from the first woman I ever dared to try and love. She didn't understand...you do. And I don't want to be alone anymore." I looked down at the ground and he lifted my chin with a single finger. "And I know you don't want to be alone aynmore, either. "A thick mist began to gather at our feet as he said, "But come with me, be my light...and you won't be." And as the mist slowly crawled upward and enveloped us...I kissed him.


	5. I'm Yours

Then, before I knew it, I was alone again, in the middle of the street. Had I imagined it all? What in God's name was happening to me? Was I really falling in love with a...

Wait a minute? Love. I couldn't believe what I was thinking to myself. How could I be in love with a known killer? Someone...something that was famed for murdering thousands of millions of people, draining them of their life's blood.

And yet...how could I not be in love? Everything he had said to me in the street...he showed me the deepest, most secret reaches of his heart. He shared things with me only lovers would share...his past, his pain. And he knew mine. He knew I was lonely. He knew everything.

I realized then I had some serious things to think over. And as I began to walk home, I mulled thoughts over in my head. One thing was for certain...I could not go on like this. Night after night, Dracula was coming to me, showing me a sensation I had never known before...a sensation I somehow knew I would NEVER get from ANY other man. But then he was leaving. Like tonight. Baring his soul, accepting my comforting caresses, then vanishing into thin air. If I was to allow Dracula into my life, I knew I would have to give up everything else I held dear. My family, my friends...the light of day...life. On the other hand, I found myself thinking, what was life without Dracula? He said it himself...my blood coursed through his veins. I'm a part of him...just like he is now I part of me. I cannot resist that fact. I just can't. I knew what I had to do.

But I was I going to call him back to me? It was clear he was in control, the one calling all of the shots. There was only one thing I could do...call for him, tell him to take me...and pray he is lingering close enough to hear me.

"Dracula," I whispered into the night. "Dracula," I repeated, this time louder. "Come and take me. Please...I'm yours...I'll never be anyone else's. Just come and take me. You were right...I don't want to be alone anymore." I waited for a reply. None came. I breathed a sigh of disappointment.

Then, from behind me, the same sound of a breathe being exhaled, and a voice in my ear that whispered, "I love you." I felt a pair of strong arms encircle my waist and suddenly felt like I was melting into them. The world around me disappeared, and I was floating. I turned my head and saw his face, right next to mine. But our bodies were just a blur. Next to the way he made me feel in my dreams, it was the most exhilarating feeling I had ever felt in my life. I felt my mouth lip the words, "Where are we going?" Yet I heard no sound. But he heard me. For without moving his lips on bit, I heard him say, "You'll see." Somehow, I don't know how, we seemed to be telepathically linked. That only further ensured that I was making the right choice...that Dracula and I were meant to be together. He was not evil. Evil is in the eye of the beholder. Dracula was only a lost soul, looking for love...looking for meaning...looking for forgiveness.

Suddenly, I was lying on a bed of white satin. Dracula was beside me, his body bare and beautiful before my eyes. His arms, his chest, his muscles were chiseled to absolute perfection. He lifted himself on one elbow and looked down at me with wonder in his eyes. It was then I realized I too was undressed, and the look of absolute adoration in his eyes was enough to make me cry. He must have sensed the way I was moved by him, for he smiled down at me. Not an arrogant, knowing smile, but a kind and thankful smile. He was thankful that someone was finally thankful for him and what he was trying to accomplish. Again he whispered those three, magical words. "I love you."

"I love you, too." I replied.

Then, his body was over mine. He lowered a gentle kiss onto my lips that suddenly ignited a fire within me. Before I knew it, the kiss was more impassioned, more urgent. My head reached up for his with a need I had never known before. Suddenly, his lips moved from my lips and touched my chin. Then, they traveled down my neck, onto my shoulders. He was tasting every inch of me, setting each tiny place on fire. His hands traveled through my hair, which was fanned out gracefully across the soft, down pillow my head was resting on. He traced lines on my cheeks with his forefingers as if he were memorizing my features by touch. Suddenly, I noticed his head begin to move lower on my body, and I felt his hands grip my waist and lift me up, so his arms were around me as he lavished affection on my right breast. He didn't attack it in the way I had read in so many Harlequin romances. Instead, he kissed it, warm and tender kisses...perhaps not something one would expect from Dracula. He showed equal attention to the other, and I ran my fingers through his hair, sometimes subconsciously gripping the dark brown tendrils as newer sensations coursed through me. Suddenly, he stopped, and gazed up at me. I could see tears in his eyes. Not tears of blood like before, but real, cleansing tears. I felt his arms squeeze me tighter with need...a need to be joined at last with someone who understood him. So I nodded, and welcomed him into my body, no doubts, no regrets...just love.


	6. You Must Choose

I awoke hours later feeling as though I was being watched. My eyes broke wide open, but were met with the cool, calming gaze of the man I now knew as my lover. His eyes were filled with such raw emotions, I felt as though I would cry.

"Good morning." I said. He laughed softly.

"No, not quite, my love. It's still dark. I have to return you to your home." Return me to my home? Didn't he understand I was giving myself to him, that I wanted to stay with him?

"My home? Dracula, as far as I am concerned, I am home." He shook his head.

"You must return. Only for a short while."

"But why?" He sighed and pulled me to him. I rested my head in the small, safe space between his chin and his neck.

"It is complicated."

"But..."

"Please, just do as I ask for now. Go home, go about your routine as normal. You'll understand my reasons in a few days." I suddenly rose from the bed. I was never a patient girl and was in no mood to wait anything out. I wanted an explanation, and I wanted one immediately.

"No. Dracula, you need to tell me now. Is it me? Have you changed your mind? Was I just a conquest?" He arose and came to my side as I weakly broke down into tears. He pulled me tightly to his chest and stroked my hair.

"Shh. You must not think such things. You are all I have been searching for. You're the true meaning of life for me."

"Then please, tell me why you're making me leave you. Nothing short of an excellent reason will convince me to go home." Dracula looked deep into my eyes and sighed. He stroked my cheek.

"Such strong will." He whispered. "And such loyalty. I don't deserve such things."

"You deserve all I am and more. And I deserve an explanation." He nodded.

"And you are right in saying so. Come." He led me to the edge of the bed and sat me down. He took the spot next to me. "The life you are choosing to live by staying with me is a complicated one. It's full of tricks and illusion. Our job is to constantly deceive the living. If you were to just disappear off the face of the earth, your family would look for you. And nothing short of a dead body would convince them you were gone forever. But if you were to return home..." He sighed. I could tell he was searching for a sensitive way to tell me what he had to say. "You have suffered the bite of a vampire, Jenna. The natural order of things is for you to become one yourself. For this to happen, your body must die. I have planned it in a way that will allow your health to decline before it takes affect. It will be visible to your loved ones. Your skin will grow pale, you will become weak, and within a few days...you will die." I listened attentively, though I could hardly believe what I was hearing. I knew my family and friends would be hurt in my quest for love with Dracula, but I had no idea they would be forced to bury me. "Once your body is buried, I will come for you. From that moment on, it is forever for us." I stood again and began to pace.

"It will kill them. Dracula, if I die, it will kill my family. My mom, my dad...Ashley. I don't know if I could do that to them."

"It is the only way for us to be together. Do you understand? The only way. You could return to them at night. That moment between sleep and awake where all is still and you cannot tell the real from the false...that is where you can see them. You can talk to them, comfort them, and they would never be the wiser. But you must choose." I sighed.

"I must choose." I strode over to him and knelt at his feet. "It's obvious I have no other choice to make." Dracula's heart sank. I know it did...because I felt it. He thought I was going to leave him and I felt his heart. THAT is what convinced me what I was about to do was right. "I'll see you in a few days."


	7. The Descent into Death

When I awoke the next morning, I was alone...in my room, in my bed...alone. And I had a splitting headache. But that was no wonder...the curtains in my room had been left open and the bright sunlight was streaming through the glass and right through my eyelids. I opened my eyes slowly, then quickly covered them again when a sharp pain seemed to pierce right through their centers. I realized then that it had begun. I was becoming a vampire.

I arose from my bed and headed right for my bathroom where I showered and got ready for school. I did my best to keep my eyes closed. The pain was almost unbearable. When I was finally ready, I finished off my look with a pair of dark sunglasses. I figured they would help me, at least enough to get me through the day.

I walked slowly down the stairs and into the kitchen where my mom was cooking breakfast. She turned to give me her good morning smile when she suddenly stopped.

"My God, Jenna. Are you feeling ok?" She asked me.

"Yea, why?" I asked, trying my best to sound convincing. In reality, I was beginning to feel as I was about to become...the walking dead.

"You're pale as a ghost. And why the dark sunglasses?"

"I have a migraine." I lied. My mother looked concerned.

"Maybe you should stay home from school today." She said. I shook my head. It was tempting, but I wasn't going to waste the last few days I had with my friends.

"No, mom, I'm ok, really. I'm going to go, ok?"

"Aren't you going to have some breakfast?"

"No, I'm not hungry." Oh, I was hungry...but I had a feeling that eggs weren't what was going to satisfy that hunger. A new sign of my transformation. My appetite was for blood. But at that moment, I didn't want to think about how I was going to fill that craving. It was too much. I went over to my mom and hugged her tightly. "I love you, mom." I could smell the blood as it ran through her veins, and the hunger pains that arose within me frightened me to no end.

"I love you, too, sweetheart." She kissed my head. I wanted to cry. "I'll see you after school." I nodded, hugged her again, then left the house as fast as I possibly could.

School was hell. I had to keep the glasses on inside as well as out, and most of my teachers were not too fond of that idea. So most of my classes were spent with my head down, enclosed in the darkness of my own shadow as I brought my arms tight around it. I was beginning to feel weaker, and my hunger was excruciating. I needed to eat. But I was not by any means ready to make my first kill. I didn't know if I would ever be ready.

In my fourth class of the day, my teacher sent me down to the clinic. I was beyond pleased when they placed me in a dark room with no windows for light to pass through. I slept then. I didn't realize how tired my night with Dracula had left me until I was dozing off and could feel the relaxation sweep through me. When my eyes closed, I could see him, smiling as he held his hand out to me, beckoning me. I could see him kissing me and holding me, telling me he loved me. I could see us both, our eyes blood red and our mouths open...and it jolted me from my sleep.

I was soaking wet. My forehead was cold, my hands were shaking, and my heart was beating fast and hard inside my chest. Suddenly, the room began to shake and I could feel my eyes tremor in their sockets. I panicked and screamed out for help.

"Nurse, nurse!" I called. And just as the nurse came into the room, I passed out.


	8. Death Becomes Her

The very next thing I knew, I was in the hospital. I wasn't in a room, just the E.R., a white curtain separating me from a patient who was wailing in pain beside me. I could here him praying to God to make the pain stop, I could hear him cry out for help...and I could hear the sound of him flat lining as the doctors who rushed to save him called a code blue. Was I dreaming? Was this some sort of nightmare? I decided that it was, and tried my best to shut out the images and the sounds of death that were surrounding me.

Time continued to pass in a blur, each image I saw coming in fragments. With each faint heartbeat I saw something or someone new, until finally, I found myself in a large white room. I could smell how clean it was, and I knew I was still in the hospital. Again, the sound of a heart monitor pierced my ears and I could feel an oxygen tube wrapped around my face. I lifted my right hand to feel it, and then noticed a large clip hooked to my forefinger. I guessed that was what they were using to keep track of my pulse. I had an IV needle in my other hand, wires all around my head. There was no doubting it. What I was experiencing was real.

I looked down at the foot of the bed as the image of the room became clearer. Ashley was sitting in the chair against the wall. When she saw I was conscious, she immediately rushed to my bedside.

"Hey, you," she said. I could see she had been crying. "How are you feeling?" All I could do was blink my eyes and nod a little.

"Ashley," I managed to whisper. My voice was terribly raspy, and it exhausted me just to speak. "Where are my parents?"

"They're on their way," she answered. "I came in the ambulance with you. I called your mom. She and your dad should be here any minute." I shifted a little and she grabbed my arm. "Don't move too much." I stopped fidgeting and looked at her.

"Ashley, I need to tell you something. And you have to believe me, no matter how unbelievable it sounds, ok?" She nodded. "Do you remember what I shared with you the other night, on the street, about my dreams?" She nodded again. "He came to me again after you went home." Ashley closed her eyes and a tear escaped.

"Jen, come on."

"No, Ashley, listen to me. Dracula is real. I've seen him, touched him. We made love last night, for real this time."

"I think I need to call a doctor for you, the medicine is playing tricks or something."

"No!" I rasped out. "It's all true. And I need to warn you about it now so you understand later when I won't be here to explain."

"Jenna, what the hell are you talking about? You're not making any sense."

"I'm dying, Ashley." She tried to silence me, but I continued. "Dracula needs me with him. I agreed to stay with him."

"Why the hell would you do that?" She exclaimed. "I can't even believe I'm humoring this."

"You'll see, Ash. The doctor is going to come in here when my parents show up and he's going to say there's nothing he can do. You wait and see." Ashley walked back to the chair and sat back down.

"I can't believe you. I thought you were my best friend." She said blankly.

"I am, Ashley."

"Then why?"

"Because he needs me."

"I NEED YOU!" She yelled. "We all need you. How could you be so selfish?"

"I love him." I said simply. "And he loves me."

"Evil isn't capable of loving. How many times have we heard that in church?"

"He's not evil, Ashley. Not by any choice of his own. And you can ask our precious church about that."

"What?" She asked, confused.

"You'll understand soon. I promise."

"No, tell me now. You just told me you're going to die and leave me, now tell me what Dracula has to do with the church."

"I can only tell you that they've been fooling us for centuries. They have created their own evils so that humans would fear the world and stay contented in the church's shadow. Dracula is involved in nothing he wasn't forced into." Suddenly, my parents walked in. They rushed to my bedside, my mom on my right, my dad on my left. They each took a hand and stroked my hair. I couldn't take it anymore. They were not making my decision easier to accept. I decided if I was really going to go through with this, I had to get it over and done with.

"I love you both so much." I said. I looked up at the ceiling and tears rolled down my cheeks. "I'll always be with you, ok? I promise." My parents laughed.

"You're not going anywhere." Oh, but I was. And I was going right then and there. Dracula, I thought. Let it end now. Suddenly, the sound of a flat line, and the feeling of being split in two.


	9. Follow

My eyes, heavy with the feeling of a long sleep, fluttered open as I lay flat on my back. My first thought was that the doctors has somehow brought me back from the brink of death. But, then again, no hospital I'd ever seen was so dark, even at night. I closed my eyes again, then reopened them, attempting to adjust my sight to the darkness. When the picture finally cleared, I noticed a ceiling of creased fabric, satin, hovering right above me. It was then I realized I was no longer in the hospital...but in my coffin.

I began to scream. I pounded on the lid of the casket, panicking at the tight space and the lack of air.

"Help me! Somebody please! Get me out of here! I'm not dead! I'm NOT DEAD!" Then, his voice.

"You're right, my love. You are not dead. Then again..." The lid flew open and Dracula stood above me. "You are not alive, either."

I stared up at him, eyes wide, unmoving. "You needn't be afraid, silly girl. We have what we wanted. You're old life is history. Now, you're mine."

"I'm so cold." I whispered.

"That feeling will subside once you've had your first meal."

"Meal?"

"Blood."

"Blood?"

"Is there an echo in here?" He laughed lightly and reached into the coffin. He took my hands, sat me up, then scooped me into his arms, setting me down on the floor in front of him. I reeled on my feet. He pulled me to his chest and steadied me. "You're not used to being without blood, yet, but don't worry. You'll soon learn to control you're hunger until you have the chance to feed."

"But, I don't know if I can. Kill, I mean."

"You'll have to learn, eventually. But for now, you're mortal compassion still lingers. I'm sure you will find the blood of animals satisfactory. Come." He turned and tried to pull me by the hand, but I stood still. "What's wrong?" He asked.

"I'm just wondering if maybe this was a mistake." He immediately looked wounded, but then sighed and pulled me into his arms, kissing me warmly on the lips. It was at that moment that something came over me, something hypnotizing...something I knew could make me follow him anywhere.


	10. Lust

"Close your eyes." He said once we parted from our kiss. I did as he instructed. "Do you see anything?" I found it strange he was asking me what I saw immediately after he told me to close my eyes. But soon, the darkness of my eyelids faded into an image, vague at first, than clear as day. It was a beautiful, white wolf.

"I see a wolf." I told him. I opened my eyes for a moment.

"Keep them closed!" He said. "The wolf is what you're to become, your alternate form."

"Alternate form?" He chuckled.

"Well, you can't expect to walk around like that all night. Someone is bound to recognize you. It's called shapeshifting. Other powers will come to you in time."

"Such as?"

"In time." He repeated. "Now, hold the image of the wolf in your mind, see yourself near it, then directly next to it. Now watch as the two of you become one." The image of me merging with a wolf was crystal clear in my mind.

"Now what?" I asked.

"Open your eyes." When I did, I found myself closer to the floor. I was staring at Dracula's shins, on all fours, and the whole room was in varying shades of red. I looked down, and saw two paws instead of my hands. I wanted to scream, but when I tried, all I could hear was a high pitched howl.

What's going on? I thought silently to myself. Yet somehow, Dracula heard and answered.

"You're a wolf. You did wonderfully for your first time."

But, how? I thought. How can you hear me?

"We're telepathically linked." Suddenly, Dracula too slowly but surely shifted into a wolf. Only he was massive, grey...and beautiful. His alternate form did him great justice. I heard him chuckle again.

"_This is not my only alternate form. I have many."_

"_This is so odd. And to be honest...it's..."_

"_Frightening?" _He asked. _"Yes, well, it will be. For a while. But don't worry yourself too much. You'll get used to it. You're strong. That's why I chose you."_ He approached me and nuzzled his head against mine. Suddenly, I low growl emanated from my stomach. "_You are hungry."_

"_A little." I answered. _Suddenly, Dracula shifted back.

"Now you try. Do it exactly the same, only picture yourself stepping from the wolf's body." I did as I was instructed, and changed back. I was already getting used to the strange feeling. Dracula helped me up off of the floor.

"Now," he said. "Let's go hunt." He went to lead me again, but I pulled him back. "What?" He asked.

"It can wait." I said. "I want you to make love to me first."

"Here? Now?"

"Not here." I answered. " know you have the power to transport yourself. Transport both of us. Bring me where you brought me that first night." Dracula came closer to me, and pressed himself up against me. I could tell that my words had already affected him, and that he wanted me just as much as I wanted him. His face lingered in front of mine, but something was burning inside of me. Something that suddenly, was in no mood to be coy. I took his face in my hands and brought his mouth to mine. I could feel desire swelling up in both of us. "Dracula, do it...now. Take me away. I need you. Take me."

Suddenly, we were back on that enormous bed, entangled in the soft sheets, our legs entwined, hearts beating fast. This was not slow, or gentle like the first night. This was fast, urgent...hot.

He took my arms and pinned them up above my head, our fingers enlaced, our lips locked in a never ending kiss. He pressed his hips between my legs and moved within me, taking me to new heights, new levels of pleasure that I never thought existed. We were both breathing heavily, unable to control our passion. And as we both drew near the end, Dracula buried his head in the space between my neck and my shoulder, taking in the scent of my hair, until finally, my name escaped from his lips in an exclamation of absolute satisfaction. I followed moments after, whimpering, sighing, moaning, until finally, my climax came in like the tide and swept my senses out to sea. I was nearly unconscious from the sensations that flowed through me, and we both lay there, our glistening bodies still joined, panting, waiting for our faculties to return. Finally, they did, and he gasped with a breathless voice, "I love you."

I combed my fingers through his sweat soaked hair and kissed his forehead as he turned to kiss my neck. "I love you, too." He kissed my neck again, pulling me as close to him as he possibly could. "Dracula..." I said.

"Yes?" After a moment's silence, I answered.

"NOW I'm ready to eat." He laughed, and gave me a long and lingering kiss.


	11. My Dracula

Dracula laughed at my declaration of hunger and sat me up in bed. He got up, cracked his back, and thinking aloud said, "What shall I find for you?" He turned to me and weighed the options. "Rats are too small and their blood is rarely clean enough for consumption. A cat may be better, but still, not enough blood to satisfy great hunger." I held up a hand to silence him.

"Dracula, I don't want animal blood." He looked bewildered.

"I thought you said you were not ready for a human kill."

"I recently changed my mind." I got up from the bed and crossed in front of him, gnawing lightly on my thumbnail, a tick I often head while pensive. "Something has come over me, suddenly. I have the urge to hunt, to kill, to feel someone squirm in my grasp as I take the blood I need to satisfy me." Something inside of me fluttered at the thought, while another part of me was shocked at the fact I was behaving so morbidly, so coldly towards a race I once called my own. I turned toward Dracula, worried. "Do you think me wicked?" Dracula, who did seem a bit taken aback by my statement, shook his head.

"I am simply astonished by the transformation. Novice vampires usually find it extremely difficult to release themselves of their humility. You, however…you're different." I stretched my arms above my head, taking in the largest breath of air I possibly could.

"And I can't explain it. But something has come over me…something…liberating. And I have you to thank for it." I approached him, circling my arms about his neck, kissing him slowly. "You have freed me."

"I think it is the finest proof then."

"Of what?"

"That you and I are in fact one being." He stroked my cheek and kissed me lightly on the forehead. "You are all I have longed for. And I love you with every fiber of my being."

"And I love you…you are my salvation…my Dracula."


	12. Beautiful Damnation

Walking down the busy street in New York City, all of my senses were elevated. I could smell the blood, see the life force coursing through the bodies of all of my options. The fact I would have to kill was not even occurring to me. All I could think of was blood, and how satisfied my hunger would be once it was mine.

I watched Dracula as he walked down the street beside me. I could tell he was on the hunt. His eyes were narrowed and deliberate, darting from each potential meal to the next. I could hear him weighing his options. _Too slight, too old, too young…_

"I thought blood was blood regardless of the body it belongs to."

"And that, my beautiful novice, is where you are wrong. The blood is the life force of the human being. If you choose an unhealthy or tainted victim, you take their sickness into you. And that makes for a very unpleasant meal."

I nodded in understanding.

"Your first meal must be your best, my love. You must experience all that is fruitful in your new life. I will pick for you the perfect victim. But the kill…will be up to you." I stood silently for a moment. "You seem hesitant. Are you sure you're ready for this?" I could feel my eyes narrow in their sockets as I slowly ran my tongue over my teeth. I felt my fangs, tingling with the need to penetrate the flesh of an unsuspecting victim.

"I've never been more ready for anything in my life." The remainder of my mortal coil was shed as I took in all that it meant to be a vampire. "What about her?" Dracula followed my gaze across the crowded street to a young woman, no more than thirty, hailing a cab. Conveniently enough for us, however, none were stopping to pick her up.

"Ah…" I heard Dracula gasp. "She will be perfect." In a flash of a second, Dracula and I were beside her.

"Need a lift?" He asked. And no sooner did she look to see the stranger who had just addressed her, but she was alone with us in a deserted alley, stumbling back in fear.

"How did I get here?" She asked, her voice shaking as her lower lip trembled in fear.

"We brought you here." I answered, and Dracula looked at me, pride filling his eyes.

"Why?"

"My beautiful bride is new to this sort of thing, but it seems she has her sights set on you for her first meal." The woman looked immediately confused, but no less frightened.

"Meal?" To even my own surprise, I laughed. The laugh was low, and evil. Dracula began to laugh with me and then said, "It is better, my love, not to let them ask questions. They become stupid in the shadow of their final moments on the earth. It is better you take her now, before she loses the last of her faculties." That was my cue, and in a moment, I was on her. She had but a moment to let out the faintest scream, but was silenced by my teeth sinking deep into her throat, draining her voice, her blood…her life. She sank to the ground, and I followed her, sucking all I could until Dracula put a hand on my shoulder, instructing me to stop.

"Drink her life, my love…not her death. It will be your one downfall." He pulled me to my feet, and I reeled slightly, feeling a new kind of life pulsing through me, engulfing every part of me. It was the most amazing rush. It was life, it was an awakening…it was damnation, wrapped in the sweetest, most tempting of packages.


	13. In The Eyes Of All Who Matter

Exhilarated by my first kill, I was once again eager to be alone with Dracula. It was the ultimate stimulation, and it planted a different hunger deep within me that could only be satisfied by one thing…love.

I latched on to Dracula's arm, and he was at first concerned.

"Are you alright, Jenna?" I looked up at him. His fangs were out as he too was ready for a meal, but he had been so distracted by my need to eat, he pushed his own hunger aside. I, however, was not willing to let him leave that alley until I got what I wanted. And I wanted him.

I managed to whisper his name faintly before grabbing him by the shirt collar and pulling him toward me until my back was to the wall and his chest pressed firmly into mine. He was already breathing heavily, and it pleased me to know I had the same power over him that he wielded over me. It became clear to me then that he was willing to make his supper wait a few more minutes as he crushed his lips against mine.

The changes in me shocked me still. The way I responded to his touch, primitively and with wild abandon, was a far cry from the person I once was. His hands roamed freely over my breasts, still encased in the white gown I wore. He bent before me, leaving trails of kisses on my neck, my breasts, and grabbed the hem of my skirts, lifting them, securing them between our bodies as he leaned into me more. His hands slid to my waist, lifting me up off the ground and guiding my legs around him. In moments he was inside of me, pressing into me with a passion I never knew a man could feel for me. The most intense moments were when he looked directly into my eyes and I could see his love overflowing, gleaming with the only light I would ever see, would ever need to see for the rest of my days. It was in that instant that I noticed the shimmer of what seemed to be a tear forming in the corner of each of his eyes. Without hesitation, I kissed each one, and choked sighs escaped his lips as he held me tighter. "My love…" he whispered, and suddenly, the alley literally faded away as together we soared through time and space. The world around us spun, blurred. We were transporting again, and the feeling of doing so while we were still entwined in our love making was the most unbelievable feeling, elevating our pleasure to new heights until our mouth collided in one final kiss.

We clung to each other as we floated softly to the ground, landing somewhere in the middle of a densely covered wood. The moon shone brightly above our heads as Dracula kissed me again.

"You have given me such a gift, Jenna. You have given me the ability to love again, to forgive the world and the years it served as my purgatory. Even being damned, I find salvation."

"And is that what I am? Is that what we are? Damned?"

"In the eyes of God, yes that is exactly what we are. Condemned to hell on earth which you have managed to make into a heaven." I gazed deeply into his eyes.

"How is it that you are able to love me so much?"

"I could ask you the same question. But why tempt fate with inquiries? Things simply are as they are. And in my eyes…they, like you…are perfect." I kissed him then, gently on the lips. "Promise me you'll never leave me. Not even for a moment. Always be by my side."

"As your bride?" He looked at me. "It's what you called me in the alley." He smiled.

"Still so pure." He took my chin into his hand and kissing my forehead said, "Yes…as my bride" Dracula looked about him and, spotting a climbing vine, grabbed a length of it and ripped it from its place on one of the trees. He draped it temporarily about his neck as he eyed my gown. "How fitting that you would be wearing white on what is now to be your wedding night." He held out his right hand and before my very eyes, a bouquet of wild orchids materialized into his grasp. I gasped.

"How did you do that?" I asked, giggling like an amazed school girl.

"I am capable of all kinds of magic, my love." He held the flowers out to me. "For the bride." I took the head of one of the smaller flowers and placed it in the lapel of Dracula's black jacket.

"For the groom." Then, taking my left hand, he joined our hands, wrapping them together with the strip of vine in what appeared to be a kind of hand fasting ritual. He laid his right hand on top of our joined hands and said, "Now we are one, forever joined in the eyes of all who truly matter."

"And they would be?"

"Us."

_Us… _


	14. Pasts and Pains

We laid together, legs entangled, on a soft pile of leaves after making love for the first time as husband and wife. True, the ceremony was not the traditional one I always longed to be a part of, but it was perfect none the less. I couldn't even begin to fathom how a girl such as I who was once the purest, most innocent and compassionate person my friends claimed to know, could end up the wife of the most feared character in all of history. How I could kill so easily, make love so passionately, and care so little for the damage I may leave in my wake. I didn't understand how one glance from him could make me forget everything I used to be. But it could…and I did.

Lying there, naked and natural, my body kept warm by his arms wrapped about me, I gazed up at the stars, which were brighter than I had ever seen them before. The glowed in shades of gold, and I quietly began to hum to myself a song that I had loved for the longest time, and had actually become my life.

"That's beautiful." Dracula whispered. "Does it have words?"

"Yes…but I am hardly the person to sing them. I will do them no justice."

"Well, we'll have to see then, won't we?" He kissed the top of my head. "Sing to me, Jenna." Taking a deep breath, I began to sing. The voice that escaped my lips seemed polyphonic, as if more than one person were singing along with me. It was haunting, and even I shivered in response.

_Come into these arms again_

_And lay your body down_

_The rhythm of this trembling heart_

_Is beating like a drum_

_It beats for you, it bleeds for you_

_It knows not how it sounds_

_For it is the drum of drums_

_It is the song of songs_

_Once I had the rarest rose_

_That ever deemed to bloom_

_Cruel winter chilled the bud_

_And stole my flower too soon_

_The loneliness, the hopelessness_

_To search the ends of time_

_For there is in all the world_

_No greater love than mine_

_Let me be the only one _

_To keep you from the cold_

_Now the floor of heaven's laid_

_With stars of brightest gold_

_They shine for you_

_They shine for you_

_They burn for all to see_

_Come into these arms again_

_And set this spirit free…_

Dracula remained silent for a moment, then said, "That…was more beautiful than I could ever have imagined it to be. Where did you learn that song? What is it?"

"You'll laugh…"

"I'll try to restrain myself. Tell me." I sighed.

"Well, I'm sure you are well aware of the fact that popular culture has immortalized you into literature's and Hollywood's greatest villain. But this one film…I saw it a long time ago…showed you as you are…or were…lost, and looking for someone to love who will love you in return. That song is from that film."

"Perhaps I'll see it. Films fascinate me."

"Although…that brings me to a question."

"What?"

"When we first met, you revealed to me your true identity. Why then, throughout all of these years have historians claimed you to be the immortalized persona of Prince Vlad of Romania…otherwise known as…"

"Vlad the Impaler…yes…not my most glamorous years, but me nonetheless. People credit that time period for my transformation because of the violent ways I chose to try and prove to God and Christ that I was still worthy of Their love. I killed countless Muslims in defense of Christianity, praying that would redeem me. However, I was already Nosferatu before that…I just kept a lower profile."

"And what of your wife?"

"You know of her?"

"History…was she the first love you spoke of?" Dracula shook his head.

"No, but she was a good Catholic girl preparing to enter a nunnery. She was yet another attempt at my salvation, a pure woman to seal my happier fate. However…when she learned of my true identity, she flung herself off of the battlements of my palace, and I decided then too many lives had been lost in pursuit of forgiveness. So I gave up." I decided to dig a little deeper into the mystery that was my new husband.

"Who was the woman, then? The one who you loved before me?"

"First, I must tell you that I thought I loved her…I didn't know what true love was until I met you." I nestled deeper into his embrace. "Her name was Mary Van Helsing." I shot up with a start.

"Van Helsing? Like-"

"Like Abraham Van Helsing, from that Irish man's novel."

"Bram Stoker."

"Yes, fool almost knew what he was talking about…almost…anyway, Mary was Abraham's daughter. Abraham, determined to keep me at bay for all eternity injected himself with viles of my blood, giving himself the closest thing to immortality. When I was freed again, my blood called to me, and for that reason and that reason alone, I felt the need to have her. Now that I look back, I think my main motive was to keep myself immune from their power to restrain me, not love."

"You've been through so much. Where do you find the strength?"

"Before, I was never sure. The knowledge that I couldn't die, even if I wanted to forced me to make the most of my eternal life. Now…I find my strength in you." I leaned toward him and kissed his lips tenderly. "So beautiful…" he whispered.

"So are you." And as I kissed him again, I felt something I never thought I could feel while in the arms of the man I loved. Somewhere behind the immense happiness I felt, I could also feel the faintest pang of loneliness and loss.


	15. There Are Some Places You Cannot Return

I tried to dismiss the feelings I had as typical cold feet. However, ours was not a typical marriage, and I feared any possible reason my heart would find to ache at a time when it should be happiest. I was afraid to inquire for fear of hurting Dracula's feelings. But everyday, the feelings grew stronger, and everyday, I found it harder and harder to remain comfortable in my new life.

I decided one night, when Dracula went out on his own for his nightly feed, myself staying behind citing a poor appetite, to visit those who I had left behind.

It was early in the night; Well, early for me. It was midnight, exactly, when Dracula left me with a kiss and set out to find himself a large meal. And it was not five minutes past before I set out on my own journey, back to the street where I used to live. As I walked down the lane, in the middle as to avoid the street lights, I tried to identify my house, as well as the home of my best friend, Ashley. If I were to be honest, I would have to admit that I really couldn't remember much of my life before. It was as if years upon years had passed me by. But suddenly, I saw a figure I knew walking toward me in the dark. It was Ashley, with her hands shoved deep into the front pockets of her sweatshirt, her chin to her chest as she walked. As she came closer, I could hear her crying, sobbing silently into the empty air. I cold smell the blood in her, but it was so easy to resist the scent. My love for her as my friend was stronger than my thirst for her blood as a vampire.

"Ashley…" I whispered, and I could tell she heard me. She looked about, turning around to find the source of her whispered name. "Over here." She looked dead ahead, and I walked toward her until I knew for a fact she could see my face. She fell to her knees, a hand clasped over her mouth.

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed in a choked whisper. "Jenna…oh my God!"

"Ashley…please don't be afraid of me."

"Not be afraid of you? You…you're dead."

"I'm not."

"I was in the room when you died."

"I'm not dead Ashley. But…I'm not alive either."

"Right….Dracula…what are you saying, you're a vampire?"

"You saw me die, you see me standing here, and yet you still refuse to believe me when I tell you that Dracula came to me in the night?" Ashley was silent.

"Y-you…you have a point there." I knelt in front of her.

"What are you doing out here at night?"

"Walking…sleeping hasn't been easy recently, you know?"

"I can imagine."

We walked to a park where we always used to hang out. When we were young, we'd play silly games, and as we got older, we'd simply sit on a bench and talk about life…boys, school, gossip…never did we imagine we would discuss what was to become of our friendship now that one member of the party had become one of the undead.

We sat, and I noticed her staring at me awkwardly. She wanted to say something, but I could tell she feared appearing rude.

"If you have any questions for me…feel free to ask."

"I hardly know where to begin." She put a couple of fingers to my cheek, drawing them back quickly when she felt that I was freezing to the touch. She gathered herself, and touched my face again. "Your skin is almost transparent," she observed.

"That's because I haven't fed yet. Once I have blood, I'll look pretty much normal." Ashley looked frightened and I could sense her backing away a little bit. "No, no, no…I'm not hungry. And even if I was….you are not my first choice for a meal."

"What would be?" I looked away. "I mean…have you killed yet?" I didn't answer, but that was enough. Ashley knew that I had. "Jenna…you need to explain this to me…all of it. Why you went with him, why you left us all behind to grieve. I mean…have you seen your family?" I shook my head. She sighed. "Come with me." She took my hand, ignoring the lack of warmth, and led me down the street toward my house.


	16. Revelations and Heartbreak

"Ashley, I don't think I can do this. I don't think I can see them."

"Why not? Don't you think you owe them an explanation?"

"I promised Dracula that I wouldn't. There are rules to being a vampire, Ashley. I have to be dead to the world. The fact I am even here now-"

"Hey," she interrupted. "I won't tell if you won't." We got to my house, and after a brief hesitation at the foot of the driveway, we proceeded to the front door. I could see through the window by the door that someone was still awake, watching television. I looked closer and saw my mother and my father holding each other on the sofa, my mothers shoulders shaking violently with sobs, and my father trying his best to remain her rock, as he always did when my mom was upset. It was then that Ashley's watch beeped, signaling five o'clock AM. A think gray mist began to form around us, and knowing full well that the mist was Dracula come to retrieve me and bring me home, I looked at my dearest friend and whispered, "Goodbye."

No sooner did we arrive back at the forest did Dracula reveal his anger toward me. He released me in such a way that I toppled to the ground, struggling to catch myself before grazing my knees on the earth. I shrank away to the foot of a tall tree, as if its protruding roots would protect me from a wrath I had not yet seen from my husband, but knew existed from legend.

"Why did you disobey me? I told you the danger in going back….why did you not listen to me?" I had no reply. It was then I saw the fire in his eyes vanish, and suddenly, he lunged toward me and took me into his arms. I was startled, and even more so when I realized that he had started to cry. "I came back tonight and couldn't find you. I had no idea where you were or what had happened to you…do you have any idea what that did to me?"

"I-I'm sorry."

"Why did you go?" He whispered. "Why did you go back?"

"I don't know." I answered as I pulled away. Turning my back on him, I wrapped my arms around myself to try and maintain the warmth I had felt being home again. I had not realized how much I missed my family until those moments with Ashley, gazing into my living room, seeing my parents in such a state of desperation.

"Why do you walk away from me?"

"Can't I just have a few moments to think?" I snapped. Dracula looked hurt, and I immediately felt ashamed for my temper. I went to him and took his face into my hands. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's come over me. All of a sudden I feel…lost…alone…homesick." Dracula placed his hands over mine. I could feel his tears run into my skin.

"It is normal to feel these things. To feel torn between your two worlds, to feel lost. Many feel the same at the beginning of their rebirth. But you have been so inconsistent."

"I know. Just yesterday,you were all I needed….you were my home."

"And tonight?" He asked, looking like a helpless child.

"Tonight…" I could not answer. What I wanted to say would hurt him too much.

"Be honest with me. What are you thinking tonight…now?"

I hesitated. He wrenched out of my grasps and bellowed, "Damn it, just tell me!"

I jumped at the sound of his voice, sharp and impatient.

"I think I want to go home."

Dracula stumbled back as if he had been wounded in the heart…and in a sense, I suppose he had. He had been struck with an arrow dipped in the most deadly of poisons…betrayal.

I had betrayed him, I knew it from the moment the words escaped my lips. Yet I could not deny the feelings that lay in my heart. Seeing my family in the state they were in was probably the best and worst thing that could have happened. It made me realize how much I needed my family, how much I had missed them in the time I had been away, but it also gave me the will to do something I never wanted to do…leave the only man I ever loved more than life itself.

"You...think?"

"Please…don't hate me. I love you so much-"

"Don't!" He hissed, holding up a finger to silence me. "Don't tell me how much you love me in the same breath it took for you to tell me you wish to leave me!"

"But-"

"NO!" This time, he advanced toward me, eyes red with ferocity and rage. He seized me by the shoulders, and I yelped from the pain of his fingernails digging into my flesh. The Dracula I knew would have released at the very moment he thought I was in pain…this one held on steadfast, not seeming to care. I didn't blame him…no physical pain could match the heartbreak I knew I was causing him. His grip remained firm, but I noticed that once again, his facial expression was softening, and I could now see all the pain in his heart. He drew in a sharp breath and said in a desperate plea, "You cannot leave. You made a vow to me! We are bound by blood, by marriage…by…love." I was sobbing by now, torn between two things I wanted more than anything…to be with my family again…but also to remain safe in Dracula's arms. "Please…" he whispered, still holding on, afraid to let me go. "Please don't go."

And then I kissed him. He welcomed the kiss as a change of heart, and returned it, pulling me tightly to his chest. The emotion of the evening finally getting to him, his knees weakened, and together, we sank to the ground. And again…for the last time…we made love beneath the clear skies…because what Dracula didn't know, and what I would not tell him, was that I was going home.

"I knew you would not go." He whispered, kissing my hair. "We are one...forever."

"Shh..." I whispered. "Sleep now."

Dracula closed his eyes and soon fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.But when he would awake the following night, I would be gone…and he would hate me.

That was what I wanted…that was what I hoped for…

You always forget those you hate…

Things forgotten cannot cause pain...

How stupid I was...


	17. Trials and Tribulations

I hadn't thought about what I was going to do with myself once I left him. I really had no idea of how to survive on my own as a vampire. I didn't know how I was going to confront my parents, my friends, everyone who thought I was dead. I was going completely blind, no plans, no ideas…just hope that they would understand and believe me.

My thoughts turned to Dracula, who looked so tranquil and contented when I left him. My heart broke at the thought of him waking to find me gone. Then I began to wonder what he would do upon discovering my absence. Would he come and find me? Take be back again? Kill me?

I shuddered at the thought. Would he go so far? Perhaps the final stab of betrayal would be too much for him to handle, and he would react in the only way that seemed to work for him…vengeance.

I couldn't think of that now. I knew it was too late to turn back, and seeing as I thought I knew what I wanted, it would be ridiculous to compromise either of our feelings any longer. I had to keep going. I headed right for Ashley's house.

Far off in the distance, I heard a wolf's howl…I knew it was him. He had awakened.

And that's when I knew there really was no going back. I had made my decision. Whether or not it was the right one was still unclear. But it was what it was…final…permanent.

The final stretch of distance between me and Ashley's house was long, but I chose to run. Nothing could get met here fast enough. Perhaps seeing my friend again would remove all doubt I may have still had about my choice.

I raced to her driveway, bound up the steps to the front door, and without thinking, feverishly began banging on the door.

"Ashley! Ashley…open the door!" I heard footsteps rushing to the door, and suddenly, the reality of what I had just done set in. Afraid that the person to open the door was not Ashley, I ducked behind the nearest shrub. However, the door opened, and I heard Ashley's voice calling for me.

"Jenna? Is that you?" I revealed myself then, and she grabbed me by the arm, leading me quickly into her house and up the stairs to her room. She shut and locked the door, pushed me onto her bed, and in a harsh whisper said, "Are you out of your mind? Do you have any idea what would have happened if my mom answered the door?"

I nodded. "I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry."

"Just…keep your voice down." She sat next to me. "What are you doing here? What happened last night, you just….disappeared into the fog."

"Dracula came to get me. He was so angry…"

"I don't under-"

"I've left him Ashley. I couldn't stay with him, not after seeing my parents…not after seeing you."

"But I thought you loved him."

"I do…oh, I do…more than I can possibly explain. But I had to decide what was more important…and I couldn't let my parents remain in so much pain."

"And how do you plan on explaining all of this to them? How do you plan to even begin to explain that you're a vampire, that you're in love with the most legendary of what they thought were fictional characters…how do you explain stuff like that?"

"I don't know. I suppose I just have to come out with it, like I did with you."

"Just show up alive….well…in a manner of speaking…on their doorstep and say, 'Honey, I'm home?'"

"Don't joke."

"Who's joking?" Ashley took a deep breath. "Maybe I should go ahead of you…cushion the blow…"

"No…I have to do this on my own." I stood up. "I'm going right now."

"Are you sure that's a good idea…maybe you should wait until you calm down a little…you look drained."

"I'm calm, Ashley…I'm just hungry."

"Oh." She quipped, not really knowing how to react. "Can't help you there."

I went over to the window, lifted the glass, and began to climb out.

"Hey, where are you going?" Ashley asked.

"To hunt."

"But-"

"Ashley, I need blood, or I am going to die. Just…leave the window open, expect me back in no more than two hours, and don't ask questions. Some things are better off unknown. Ok?"

"Ok." And with that, I climbed down. What it was I was going to eat was unknown…but I knew I had to feed…and soon…the hunger was more powerful than the pain in my heart.


	18. I'm Home

I returned when I said I would, but by then, it was too late to journey to my parents' house. Dawn was near and I was forced to sleep the day away in Ashley's closet. But when the sun set, I once again awakened, more ready than ever to reveal my true self to my parents.

Ashley was sitting on her bed when I emerged, groggy and hungry.

"Hey." She said.

"Hi…" Rubbing my eyes, I sat down next to her, running my fingers through my hair.

"You ready to go?" She asked. I nodded. "I know you want to go alone…but may I make a suggestion that will maybe make things easier?" I nodded again. "Feed before you go. You're appearance is actually rather frightening when you're hungry."

"Too pale?"

"Too transparent. I can see your veins and everything." I got up to look at myself in the mirror. Having not taken the time to try and look before, I failed to remember that I would not have a reflection. So the event of looking and having nothing appear before me caused me to chuckle quietly to myself. Ashley, however, being ever the Queen of Sarcasm and Wit, said, "Way to take one for the team there, Elvira." We both laughed out loud then, but were interrupted when a startling knock came to the door.

"Ashley?" It was her mother. Ashley shoved me back into the closet, then let her mother in.

"Yea, Mom?"

"What was that noise?" She asked.

"I was laughing, I was listening to Dane Cook on my Ipod." Ashley quickly explained.

"Well…I could have sworn I heard another voice."

"It was probably just an echo, Mom."

"Ok…you going to bed soon?"

"Yea."

"Ok…love you."

"Love you too, Mom." And with that, I heard the door close and lock. I reemerged from the closet and headed right for the window.

"See you later." And I climbed down. I did as Ashley suggested and fed first, just enough to add pigment to my skin, from the bodies of a couple of woodland animals. Then I headed straight for my house.

I knew not what I would say, and I hadn't the faintest idea what my parents' reactions would be. I only hoped that they could understand me, and accept me again as the daughter they once loved more than life itself…even though I did not show them the same courtesy.

I walked up to the door, and surprisingly, did not hesitate before knocking on the door.

I was not surprised, however, by the blood curdling scream that escaped my mother's lips when she opened the door, nor was I taken aback by her fainting and tumbling to the floor. I almost received the same reaction from my father, who had come to see why his wife was shrieking at the top of her lungs, but instead found her unconscious in the foyer, and his dead daughter standing in the doorway.


	19. No Place To Go

I crept back into Ashley's window, dejected, and utterly lost. I had expected a negative reaction from my parents at first. After all, it's not everyday your daughter whom you thought was dead appears on your doorstep, claiming to be the newest member of the undead. But what followed, I did not expect at all.

I sat on Ashley's bed and placed my hand over her mouth. She jerked awake and I held my index finger to my lips, rendering her silent. She sat up and, looking concerned, asked me in a hushed whisper, "What happened? What's wrong?"

_You are not my daughter….my daughter is dead._

"You have to help me," I replied. "You have to help me find a place to go."

"What are you talking about?"

"I have no place to go, Ashley."

_Whoever, or whatever the hell you are….get the hell out of our house!_

"I don't underst-"

"My parent's rejected me!" I exclaimed in a harsh whisper. "They threw me out, they sent me away…they want nothing to do with me." The sound of glass crashing filled my ears again as I remembered how my father threw the nearest heavy object, a large Ming vase at me, yelling for me to leave. Taking a deep breath, I added, "I guess I can't blame them." I defiantly caught the stubborn tears that rolled down my icy skin. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't go back to Dracula…not after this."

"Why not?" Ashley asked.

"He'd never forgive me." Was my reply. That is what I firmly believed…that no matter how much I would beg and plead for Dracula to take me back and forget my transgressions against him, he would never have me. You can only kick a wounded dog so many times before it bites back. Dracula did not deserve my betrayal, and any further attempt to contact him could prove detrimental to the both of us.

"Why not? Tell him what happened…maybe he'll understand."

"No, you don't understand what he's been through. He doesn't weather rejection well, Ashley…he's been dealing with it for hundreds of years…it has turned him bitter."

"You never explained that to me." Ashley said. "What you meant about Dracula not being able to control his fate. You said something about the Church."

I took another deep breath. "It all stems back to who Dracula really is."

"Vlad the Impaler?" Ashley guessed. I nodded.

"Yes. But that is only skimming the surface. Dracula's story extends much farther back than that." I proceeded to explain Dracula's history, his connection with "the greatest story ever told" and how his mistakes then had damned him for all eternity. No matter how hard he tried to prove himself worthy of love, forgiveness, redemption, he was continuously rejected, until finally he could bear it no longer. "And that…" I explained, "is why I cannot go back. I have betrayed him…I have hurt him in the worst possible way after vowing, blood, body, and soul, never to leave him. Think about that and then tell me…would you forgive me?" Ashley's silence told me her answer and I nodded. "Then we have to find a plan B. Because at the moment I have no idea where I am going to go. I can't live in your closet for the rest of my days…we have to find another solution." A began to bite my nails…an old nervous tick of mine…and Ashley, ever the intuitive best friend, placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Plans can wait until tomorrow," she whispered. "I think what you really need right now is a good shoulder to cry on." I looked at Ashley, defiant at first, unwilling to cry over my own spilled milk. But Dracula's face, and the sound of his grief-ridden howl riding the wind flooded my memory, and I broke down. I realized then that I had made a mistake, and burying my face into Ashley's shoulder, I cried until I felt that I could cry no longer, until I felt completely empty of all emotions. I chastised myself harshly, telling myself I was stupid, inconstant, and not worth the smallest amount of love Dracula had shown me in our short time together. I battered and bruised myself deep within by soul until finally, with dawn drawing nearer by the minute, I crept into Ashley's closet to sleep one more day away before my new life was to begin…my life of loneliness.


	20. City of Light City of Darkness

I could not remember the last time I had dreamed, but that day's worth of sleep was filled with them…dreams that reminded me of the blissful, if unconventional life I had with Dracula. I dreamt of his smile, his eyes, full of fire and more life than I had ever seen in a living being. I dreamt of his touch and his kiss…him holding me and me feeling safer than I had ever felt before. But then I woke up alone, and thought…this is how he must have felt…waking to find me gone, our life together shattered into a million pieces.

I cracked the closet door slightly and found that just as I was doing that, Ashley had begun to do the same on the other side. Unexpectedly coming face to face with her made me jump back into the wall of hangers, then slide to the floor with an "oof," piles of clothes and accessories falling on my head. Not being able to contain herself, Ashley laughed. I laughed as well…I must have looked ridiculous.

"You know…you're a little jumpy for a vampire…considering you could kill me in two seconds if you wanted to." I stopped laughing.

"That's not funny." I said sharply.

"You're right…I'm sorry…I was born with a silly sense of humor."

"Yeah, that and a few other birth defects." I added, and began to laugh again. I needed to laugh…it was a good distraction. Ashley reached down and helped me off of the floor.

"Listen, I have good news for you."

"Oh, yeah, what's that?"

"I found a place for you to stay." My eyes widened.

"So quickly? Where?"

"My cousin has an apartment in the city. She left me the key, telling me I could use it whenever I wanted, you know, if I was spending the night in the city or whatever. Anyway, she's been in Africa for the last year doing relief work, and she's probably going to be staying there for a while. So I figured you could stay there."

"What about when she finally comes back?"

"Why worry about that now? You could go live there, get a job in the city…"

"A night job, obviously."

"Well…yeah…but it's the city you know, there's nightclubs, restaurants, all kinds of places you can work. It'll pay the utility bills at least, and every month you can give me the money and I'll send it in." I was silent for a moment, thinking about the possibility of living on my own, as if everything were normal. "What have you got to lose?" Ashley asked. I thought about that, too. And my answer was simple.

"Nothing."

"Well then?"

"When do I move in?" Ashley held up a set of keys and jingled them in front of my face.

"Well…seeing as you are my best friend and I know you better than anyone on this planet, I had a feeling you'd go for it…so…in the words of the great 20th century philosopher Larson; 'No day but today.'" I laughed and Ashley jumped up.

"Climb down to my car. The door's unlocked. Duck in the back seat, I'll be out in a second."

I did as Ashley instructed and waited for her. She was out in moments, and we made our way out to New York.

"What did you tell them?" I asked.

"That I'm spending the night at Jill's. I called her, she'll cover for me."

"What did you tell her?"

"That I was meeting a guy at a club in New York and to conference call me every two hours so I could check in with my parents."

"Sly."

"Thank you."

A couple of hours later we pulled up to an apartment complex in New York. When we got out of the car, Ashley pulled a bag out of her trunk.

"What's that?" I asked.

"You'll see." She answered. We went up to the door and Ashley let us in with the key. It was a relatively nice apartment building. The lobby was actually quite beautiful, though empty, which was perfect. I wanted to lay low during my stay there. I didn't need anyone getting suspicious and asking questions. We headed to the elevator and took it to the twelfth floor. The door to my apartment was right across from the elevator. Ashley opened the door and led me in. The turned on the light.

The apartment was completely furnished, with a sofa, armchair, and coffee table in the living room. A television with a digital cable set up and DVD player, a full DVD library, and a stereo system sat in an entertainment center on the wall across from the sofa. The kitchen empty, but that was perfectly fine. I had a feeling I would not be needing a refrigerator full of deli meats and frozen dinners. Ashley then led me into the bedroom, which had a fully dressed king sized bed. I felt better about living there by the minute, but there as one thing that concerned me.

"There are a lot of windows." I said meekly, afraid of sounding ungrateful. That's when Ashley reached into the bag she had been carrying.

"That's why I got you these." She pulled out multiple packages of dark fabric. "They're curtains, completely light proof. You can draw them before you go to sleep and they'll keep the apartment dark all day."

"She thinks of everything." I said softly. Then I sighed and sat down on the bed. Ashley sat down next to me.

"I know things are going to be hard for you, at least in the beginning. But there's a phone, you can call me whenever you need me, and I'll come into the city to check on you whenever I can."

"Thanks, Ash. This really means a lot to me. I just-" I started to cry again.

"What's wrong, honey?" Ashley asked, draping an arm around my shoulders.

"I just wish Dracula was here."


	21. Rescue Me

Within a week, I was settled in the apartment. Ashley brought me a bag of clothes, all of which were mine but had been hiding out in her closet from nights and nights of me sleeping over, then leaving them there the following morning. It was a small amount but enough to get me by until I put some money away. Ashley opened another bank account at a bank separate from the one she usually went to that was specifically for my paychecks. Any shopping I would have to do, Ashley would have to withdrawal cash so there would be no need to present ID and run the risk of getting caught.

I also managed to get a job relatively fast. I was nervous at first, technically not having an identity, but Ashley, ever the repressed bad girl, knew someone who could get her a good quality fake ID. The name on it was mine, but my birth date was changed so I would be represented as 21. Always being one to look older than my true age, I had no trouble convincing the general manager at a local dance and karaoke club that I was old enough to work as a waitress and bartender. The club opened nightly at 8:00 PM and closed at 3:00 AM. I would be out after sunset, then home before sunrise…the hours were perfect, though the job was not.

My first few months in the city were frightening. I had to take Ashley's joke to heart sometimes and remind myself that I was in fact a vampire, and perfectly able to protect myself against any offense a New York City nightlife could throw at me. That didn't stop me from being constantly nervous around shady characters…like Chet.

Chet was a regular at the club, a total redneck, completely out of place in a place like New York City. The first night he saw me working, he told the general manager that I was to be his waitress every night he came in, and although he was intellectually lacking, he was a well paying customer and a favorite among the greedy management staff. So his wishes were carried out, and I was assigned to him, no matter how many other customers I had on my tab at the time.

Chet was a total chauvinist when it came to women, always believing himself to be a King and us 'lowly' females members of his vast and never ending harem. He was always quick with a wink, or a pat on the ass, dropping a 'babe' or a 'sweet cheeks' whenever he felt the need. I hated him with a passion, and was disgusted by his very existence. But he was a big tipper…serving him paid the bills…and made me feel lower about myself than I ever had before.

It was required of the wait staff to participate in karaoke whenever it was requested of them. And Chet, having picked me as his new favorite, decided one night that he wanted to hear me sing. I was resistant at first, but a quick glance from my boss silenced my protests and I made my way up to the stage. I picked a song by Melissa Etheridge that I knew and loved, but not until I sang it that night did I realize how much I actually related to the words.

_I don't want to talk about it  
_

_I've done enough I think  
_

_I don't want to spend more money  
_

_Don't want another drink  
_

_I would scratch out all the images  
_

_If I had the chance  
_

_Don't ask me what I'm thinking  
_

_Can't you see I only want to dance  
_

_Dance without sleeping  
_

_Dance without fear  
_

_Dance without senses no message I hear  
_

_Dance without sleeping  
_

_Dance till I'm numb  
_

_Dance till I think I can overcome  
_

_Walking on the edge of rage and understanding  
_

_Between the black and the white  
_

_This child is so angry  
_

_Alone here tonight  
_

_Alarming desperation  
_

_Leads me to believe  
_

_With all my shields and protection  
_

_It's only me I deceive  
_

_Dance without sleeping  
_

_Dance without fear  
_

_Dance without senses no message I hear  
_

_Dance without sleeping  
_

_Dance till I'm numb  
_

_Dance till I think I can overcome _

The eyes on a magazine

_The voice on the radio  
_

_The kiss on the movie screen  
_

_This is the story I know  
_

_Fathers hold on and they never go  
_

_Mothers hold on and they never go  
_

_Lovers hold on and they never go  
_

_Lovers they come and they never go _

Dance without sleeping

_Dance without fear  
_

_Dance without senses no message I hear  
_

_Dance without sleeping  
_

_Dance till I'm numb  
_

_Dance till I think I can overcome…_

When the song closed out, the entire club was completely silent. I looked around the room, tears filling my eyes, until finally, the crowd erupted in hoots and hollers. I placed the microphone back on its stand and darted off the stage, through the kitchen, out into the alley behind the club. Releasing sobs I had never heard from myself before, I slammed my back against the brick wall, and cried into my clenched fists. Suddenly the door flew open, and I backed away. It was Chet…and I did not like the look in his eyes at all.

He came toward me, rubbing his hands together, already breathing heavily.

"You sure sang pretty tonight, babe."

Responding coldly, as I always did, I said, "Thanks, Chet. Why don't you head back inside, I'll bring you another drink." Chet shook his head and laughed, a low, throaty laugh that made my skin crawl.

"No…I don't want another drink. That's not what I want at all."

"Then why don't you get on out of here and go home, it's getting late." My back suddenly hit the opposite wall, right next to a large pile of trash that had yet to be tossed into the dumpster. Chet put a hand on either side of my head, leaning on the wall, his breath stale with whiskey and cigarette smoke. I turned my face to avoid the stench of both him and the garbage.

"Now why do you gotta be like that?" Chet asked, tucking a finger underneath my chin. "All I want is a little kiss."

"Chet," I said, pushing on his chest, trying to free myself from the makeshift cage. "You're drunk. Why don't I get you a hot cup of coffee, huh?"

Suddenly, without warning, Chet back handed me across the face, and the force of the blow sent me reeling into the trash pile. Chet climbed on top of me, straddling me with his legs. I began the struggle, knowing full well what Chet was after. He began tugging on every piece of clothing he could grip, the bottom of my shirt, the hem of my skirt, kissing my face and making the most horrendous and primitive noises that I had ever heard. Wrenching a hand free, I managed to slap Chet across the face. He paused for only a moment before sucker punching me in the nose.

"You fucking bitch!" He yelled, and he covered my mouth with his hand as he shoved my skirt up with the other and then undid his belt. My screams, muffled by Chet's rough and calloused hand, remained unheard, and I was sure that Chet was going to succeed in getting what he wanted.

But suddenly, Chet stopped, his eyes widening in the most hideous bug-eyed expression. Then, his head snapped to the side with the most sickening crack I had ever heard, and he went flying into the dumpster, powered by some unseen force, that only made itself known when the lid of the dumpster came slamming down.

He stood towering above me, breathing heavily, glaring at me with those eyes I had envisioned so many times in my dreams.

"_Dracula."  
_


	22. Once Was Lost But Now Am Found

_"Dracula…"_

Saying nothing, he offered me his hand. I hesitated a moment, then took it, and he lifted me from the ground. Afraid he would vanish, I kept my eyes on him as I walked over to the dumpster. Lifting the lid, I saw Chet's lifeless body, mangled among the rubbish. I gasped.

"He's dead." I said.

"Better him than you," Dracula said, his words seemingly sweet, but his voice void of any emotion. Suddenly, the sound of my name came from the inside of the club. Panicking, I asked, "What do I do?" Dracula pulled me to him.

"Let's get out of here." His grip on me was painful, but I ignored it, taking in every scent I could, remembering the times he had held me with anything but anger in his heart. I reveled in being in his arms again, though I could tell it was not the same. I didn't expect it to be.

Suddenly, we were back in my apartment. Dracula plopped me on the sofa then walked to the window, opening it.

"Better figure out something to do once his body is found. You will be a suspect in his death but for obvious reasons, can't be questioned." I nodded. "I think it's safe to say your little stint in New York is over." He turned to the window as if he were about to transform and fly out.

"Wait!" He stopped moving at the sound of my voice. "You save my life and then leave…just like that?"

"I didn't save your life." He said. "I only saved you from losing something you have already been long without. So perhaps I was just wasting my time." I was hurt by his words, so cold and unfeeling. He turned to face me. I looked up to meet his eyes, but he quickly diverted his gaze to avoid it. I realized then there was more feeling behind that stoic face than he cared to share with me.

"I've missed you." I said softly. Dracula scoffed, then turned for the window again.

"I have to go." He said.

"No! Please don't!" I said as I darted off the sofa and took his arm. "Don't go." Suddenly, his face grew hard, and he grabbed my by my arms, leading me roughly back to my place on the sofa. Putting a finger in my face like a father chastising his unruly child he said through clenched teeth, "Begging…will get you no where with me. You will let me leave this apartment, I have wasted enough of my time." I decided to take a chance.

"If you wanted to leave, you would be gone already." He backed off then and just stared at me. "I have so much I want to say to you." He slowly sat in the arm chair across from me.

"Then…come out with it…so I can leave." My chin began to quiver as my eyes immediately welled up. I did not like his tone, but knew there was nothing to be done. I was lucky that he was agreeing to stay and hear me, rather than flying out of my life forever.

"I was horribly confused…that night when I left you." He immediately looked at the floor, and kept his gaze there, once again avoiding eye contact. It was his defense mechanism…I understood that. "My parents want nothing to do with me. They turned me away before I could even get a foot in the door." This got his attention, and he looked at me. I could have sworn I saw a flash of sympathy which he quickly replaced with that same icy stare.

"Well, now you know how it feels…the rejection…the betrayal from the people you loved the most." Tears rolled down my cheeks, and he stood again. "Glad you told me. Now if you'll excuse me…" He started for the window again, and, surprising myself, I threw myself at his feet wrapping my arms around his long and powerful legs. I was sobbing louder then than I had ever before, pleading with him to forgive me.

"I've wanted you to come for me for so long. I would have come back that very night, but I was afraid. Now you're here, and you pretend to hate me, but I know you must still feel for me, something, somewhere is still burning inside of you…if it wasn't you wouldn't be here…I know it." He kicked me away then, and I slid back on the floor. Unfazed by this, I continued with my plea for forgiveness. "I am sorry for the pain I have put you through. You didn't deserve any of it…and I know that. But please…don't punish me any longer…let me come back…" I reached my arms up to him like a helpless child. "I've missed you more than you can possibly imagine. And I love you more than I ever thought possible." I noticed his face softening, and tears coming to his eyes.

"You betrayed me." I dropped my arms.

"I know. And I know I am asking too much of you, asking you to forgive me, and to love me as you did before. But it is all I have longed for the last three months, all I have dreamed about." He remained silent then, and I perceived that as his answer. Nodding, letting several more tears fall and hit the hard wood floor, I said, "I have said all I wanted to say. You're free to go." He turned his back to me then, and ran a hand over his face.

"Damn you." He whispered. I lowered my chin to my chest in shame. But suddenly, he turned again. His face was twisted in anguish, wet with tears and full of all of the emotion he had been blocking for the last several minutes. And without warning, he lunged at me, grabbing me by the hands, jerking me up off of the floor and into his arms, showering my face with kisses, clutching to me for dear life. "Damn you…" he muttered again between kisses. "Damn you , Jenna…"

"I love you," was all I could say in return, and he scooped me up into his arms, cradling me, and carried me to the bedroom, setting me on the bed, and wasted no time in undressing the both of us. Our love making was passionate, urgent, as we bit at each other, longing for our bodies and our blood to be one again. Tears flowed freely and ran like little rivers in the trenches between our lips. I ran my fingers through his hair, clutching at it in moments of ecstasy, and he kissed and caressed every inch of me until finally we both lay, glistening and spent in each others' arms.


	23. Them or Us

I was certain I would awake to find that it was all a dream. That I would be completely alone and that Dracula had never come back, had not forgiven me. But I was pleasantly surprised to wake and find that he was still lying in bed next to me, sleeping soundly, his breathing calm and steady. I sat up in bed, placing my feet on the floor, my hair falling around my bare shoulders. Dawn would break in an hour or so, but I wished the night would go on forever.

Suddenly, I felt my hair get brushed to the side, and two very familiar lips kissing my bare skin. It felt good to have him so close to me again, to have him love me again. I didn't deserve it.

"Hi." He said in a husky whisper. I loved the sound of his voice when he was still half asleep, deep and seductive.

"Hi." I responded simply, leaning back so our lips met. He held the back of my head with his hand as he pressed his lips hard against mine until the blood ran from the corner of my mouth. Pulling away, he wiped the blood away with one finger.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize how much I missed you."

"It's alright." I said, licking the remaining drops from my lip. Then, Dracula laughed, quietly, to himself. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing…just…" He placed a hand to my cheek. "I swore to myself I wouldn't let myself get close to you again. I wanted to hate you forever for what you did. But I couldn't stay away…I had to watch you…keep an eye on you. And last night, looking into your eyes…it killed me…I knew that trying to resist you would be impossible."

"I'm glad it was…I think I would have died if you hadn't forgiven me." I kissed him again.

"You realize of course, the police will come for you soon. You were the last person seen with that…"

"Chet."

"It won't be long before they find his rotten corpse, and when they do, you will be the first to be questioned."

"What do I do?"

"We need to leave."

"And then what? We become fugitives?"

"We're already fugitives, Jenna. We're nosferatu…running is part of who we are. We run in shadows and hide from the light. If you're caught, and questioned, it would only be a matter of time before they discover your secret. Then, you risk all."

I knew Dracula was right. Once they found Chet's body, we would be hunted. We would roam the edges of the earth in an attempt to escape the hand of human justice. But the world is only so big. We would be found...then...it's them or us.


	24. The Hunter and the Hunted

Dracula had been right. Within a few days, Chet's body was found in the dumpster behind the club. The search for his killer…or killers…was on, and the NYPD was sparing no expense in trying to track us down. I was the last to be seen with Chet, New York's latest victim, and an eye witness outside the club described Dracula as another suspect. Within another day, composite drawings were being broadcasted all over the six o'clock news. One, the image of a centuries old vampire who ran very little risk of being recognized…the other of me…a girl who died nearly a year before.

We deserted the apartment. I didn't tell Ashley I was leaving or where I was going. First of all, I had no idea where I WAS going, and second of all, I felt a terrible need to protect her. My selfishness had already put her far enough in harm's way. She already knew too much knowing I still walked among the living, and if I was going down, I wasn't going to drag my best friend down with me.

Dracula and I made our way to an old cemetery on the outskirts of the city. We crept into an old run down mausoleum, knowing it would be the most unlikely place for police to search for living adversaries. But we weren't living…that much at least was an advantage.

Curled up in the far corner behind an old concrete coffin, Dracula and I sat and waited for the new dawn to pass us by. The mausoleum was air tight and virtually light proof, and we laid there waiting for a chance to sleep. I stared into the bleak, stale air of the tomb.

"Where will we go?"

"We're going to Europe."

"Leaving the country? Why? For where?"

"Home. To Transylvania. The only place I feel I have total control." I shot upright.

"Transylvania? That's crazy! We'll be hunted there for sure."

"No. There they fear us. They leave us alone. They guard themselves with their crosses and their cloves of garlic and let us be."

"I don't believe that."

"You'll just have to trust me, won't you? What other alternative do you have? If what you say is true, and the Transylvania I remember is dead and gone and the cowardly inhabitants have been replaced with vampire slayers, then we are no worse off than we are staying here in America. In Transylvania, we are nosferatu, living outside the laws of man. In America, we are just another pair of murderers who will be tracked down and put to death. Which devil would you prefer to dance with?"

I thought for a moment He had a very valid point. Either way, we were most likely screwed. And he was probably right about the Transylvanian people. To this day, they were probably still living in a century where vampires were the rulers of the land, and fear of Dracula's power kept them at bay.

But one woman knew all of Dracula's secrets. One woman would know exactly where to hunt…and that one woman had scene Dracula's composite photo and was gearing up for the kill.

She walked in through the doors of the NYPD precinct. Dressed in black leather pants and matching jacket, pale skin and blazing blue eyes, she herself could have been a vampire. Gun at hip, stake in pocket, and crucifix around her neck, Mary Van Helsing was ready to find and kill us both.

The police laughed at her at first, not exactly sure what to make of this crazy woman's claim that the suspects they hunted were the undead, living, thriving in the heart of their very human city. As far as they were concerned, vampires were still a figment of the imagination, no more, no less, and this Buffy wannabe was simply going to be a joke to be shared standing around the water cooler. But when Mary Van Helsing smiled and the officers could see her canines were sharpened down to a fine point, they quickly changed their tune.

"What the hell, lady?" One asked through a mouthfull of half-chewed donut.

"A little souvenir from my old friend, Dracula."

"Whoa, whoa...first it was a vampire...now it's Dracula? THE Count Dracula?"

"He's not a Count, officer, but yes, Dracula is the man you are looking for. I recognize the drawings."

"What about the girl he's with? She's a suspect, too."

"Yes...an innocent girl lured into the seductive world of nosferatu. It's a real shame that she will have to die, as well."

"Wait a minute, lady. In this country we believe in due process of law. They would have to be tried first."

"Well, you try holding Dracula, any vampire for that matter in a prison cell and let me know how that works out. Listen gentlemen, we have two killers on our hands. How many murders have been reported in the last year?"

"Several. This is New York, you know."

"How many were found completely drained of their blood with hardly a mark on them?" The officers were silent, telling Mary Van Helsing exactly what she needed to hear. "That's what I thought. Those are not the work of an average murderer, officers. Those are the victims of a pair of monsters who walk about preying on the lives of innocent people. And when I find them, I will kill them, due process damned to hell with them."


	25. Carpathian Lament

Dracula and I transported to Transylvania early in the evening, ensuring we arrived in the dead of night. We landed deep in the heart of the Carpathian Mountains, shrouded in night ad the cover of the forest trees. There was a dark beauty about the place, an eerie calm that sent shivers up my spine.

"Come, Dracula said, taking me by my hand, leading me to a clearing up ahead. Waiting for us there was a carriage. Four black horses stood restless at the front, and a dark coachman, covered head to foot in black robes sat at the top, reigns in hand. Suddenly, Dracula spoke to him in a language I did not understand. The coachman nodded, and the door to the carriage slowly swung open. Placing a hand on the small of my back, Dracula led me into the coach. I slid in and he joined me, the door closing behind us. I heard the cracking of a whip and the carriage jerked forward.

"What was that?" I asked.

"What?"

"That language you spoke."

"That was Romanian." I was silent. "I speak many languages. But in recent years, that's the one I hold most dear to me."

After a moment, I asked, "Will you teach me?"

He smiled and kissed me. I sighed.

"Are you alright, my love?" He asked me kindly.

"I'm hungry," I timidly confessed. I was ashamed. I knew Dracula must have been just as hungry as I, and I had yet to hear him complain.

"We will feed soon, I promise."

"What happened to keeping a low profile?"

"We will. We'll exchange eternal life for silence."

"But- who in their right mind would go willingly?"

"There are members of the village below my palace who fly the colors of the Dracul above their thresholds. They look back on my triumphs against the Turks as heroism, not corrupted evil. They would feel honored to join the ranks to save me…and my new Queen." He smiled. "Then, they will find food for us while we take refuge in the castle."

"While we hide?"

"Not something I like doing…but there lies part of my curse. Eternally confined to the shadows."

The carriage approached a looming structure in the distance. A towering palace sat atop a jagged hill, with smooth roadways carved out of the rock. I gasped.

"Oh, my God. Is that-"

"Castle Dracula…our home. Welcome."

I marveled at the castle's grandeur. It was dilapidated to be sure, but grand in its compromised brilliance. As we entered the large doors, the coachman followed close behind us. Dracula turned to face him. Speaking once again in Romanian, Dracula bid the coachman to do something, after which, the loyal driver bowed and exited, taking the carriage back down the mountain.

"Where is he going?" I asked.

"I told him to rally my supporters to come and meet their new Queen." I could tell he found great pleasure in calling me that, as his voice took a much more regal tone.

"How long will he be gone?"

"A few hours. Luckily, this palace is completely light proof. I can move about for as long as I see fit."

"Good."

"Why do you ask?"

I approached him. "Because…" I raised my lips to his ear and whispered, "there's only one thing that can keep me occupied long enough to suppress my hunger."

Detecting the desire in my voice, Dracula played along. "Is that so? Then I suppose we should go upstairs."

"No," I said. "Over there." Upon entering the palace, I had noticed a large bear skin rug sitting before a gargantuan fireplace where a flame was blazing bright and warm. That was where I wanted Dracula to make love to me. It seemed like an odd circumstance to be thinking about anything but our survival. But I had a bad feeling. Fearing we would not have much more time together, I wanted to savor every last moment with the man I loved.

He lifted me up into his arms, cradling me like a small child, and carried me over to the fireplace. The heat from the flame had already caused fine beads of sweat to form on my brow, and his breath was cold against my warm, moist skin.

He laid down next to me and kissed me. The detriment of our situation, I had come to feel, was affecting him too, for he was gentle and reserved as he began to make love to me. Usually, our passion for each other exploded with urgency, but on this particular evening, I could tell Dracula was more inclined to savor every sweet moment we had left to share.

When we finally freed ourselves from our clothing, Dracula pulled me up to face him. He brushed stray strands of hair from my face and sighed.

"Whatever happens, Jenna, know that I never intended this danger for you. All I wanted was to love you." I placed a finger to his lips.

"Don't think about that now. If tonight is all we have, let's make it wonderful." With that, I leaned in to kiss him and he pulled me onto his lap. It was like this, face to face, that he took me.

Our lovemaking seemed to last for hours, until finally, a rude, loud knock on the door indicated the worst was just beginning.


	26. The Last Supper

Our army had arrived. Dracula quickly produced an emerald green, velvet robe, with an ermine collar, to protect my modesty. I ran my fingers over the fabric as I wore it, ever amazed at the luxury of my new home. If I was going to die, I wanted to enjoy all that my union with Dracula had afforded me…even if only for a short time.

I felt a draft. Dracula had put his pants back on, and, still bare-chested, opened the door. Standing in the doorway was a group of twenty men and women, their eyes searching for something.

For me. They were curious about their new Queen.

"Come in, please, my brothers and sisters." Dracula enthusiastically opened his arms and led the group into the large foyer. Peering back at me, he extended his hand, beckoning me to come. I stepped forward, slowly, and took his hand as he presented me to the loyal villagers who were risking much to come to our aid.

I could tell they feared me. My approach resulted in the entire group taking a step back. Being as hungry as I was, I'm sure my appearance was ghastly, and, being a relatively new vampire, they were probably unsure of my ability to maintain composure surrounded by fresh blood. And, oh, could I smell it. My mouth moistened and my head spun.

"Please, my friends," Dracula said, breaking the deafening silence. "Allow me to present to you, at long last, my wife, Jenna, Queen of the Dracul." The men and women glanced around at each other before hesitantly bowing before me. I held up my hand.

"Please, don't bow." I said. Just as hesitantly, they straightened. "You have made a rough journey to come here, knowing what we will be asking of you. Knowing this, it is I who should bow to you." And I did…a deep curtsy that took my knees to the floor. Dracula's hand was still in mine, and with a subtle yet determined tug, he joined me in my reverence of our friends by lowering himself to one knee and humbly bowing his head. When we rose, we were met by the confused, astonished gazes of our congregation. They had never laid eyes on a King and Queen bowing to their subjects, and, knowing Dracula as I did, I am certain it was the first time he had ever entertained the idea.

No one spoke, until finally, Dracula broke the silence.

"Please, come to the dining hall and make yourselves at home. There is wine and ale, and a feast that could never be rivaled. I urge you all to enjoy the spoils of this evening. By dawn, you will have a more…restrictive diet." I was amazed that no one flinched at that harsh reality. They had all obviously made peace with their decisions. Like a wave, they moved in, and walked quietly to the dining room. Dracula and I followed them in as a manservant closed the large doors to the palace behind us.

A long and ornate wooden table stood in the center of the room, draped with a deep red cloth and covered with amazing food. A large roasted pig, loaves of fresh baked bread and home churned butter, the richest cheeses…a feast fit for any noble. Huge jugs of the finest wine and casks of potent ale surrounded the fare, and gigantic candelabras lit the hall. Finally, I heard the sound of voices as they buzzed in wonder at the spread. By the looks of these men and women, this kind of meal was not common. They all hurriedly found seats and immediately reached for drink. As they poured, Dracula and I took our places at the head of the table. As hands reached across the table for their spoils, Dracula raised his, begging for one more moment's pause. He was quickly obliged.

"Before you begin, friends, I must make sure you are all aware of my…rules. None of you shall be childless. You must all have at least one child, preferably grown and free from the threat of youthful illness. The only exception to this rule is if you have been declared barren by one of the physicians I have provided for you over the years. I cannot give immortality to anyone who has not perpetuated the Dracul line. Furthermore, once your…transformation …has been completed, you must never return home to the village. As it is I who has begged you for this sacrifice, I have acquired a large piece of land deep in the Carpathians, with enough homes where each of you can safely relocate. You may choose to be nomads instead, but I urge you to carefully consider the risks of being a nosferatu out in a world that is bent on destroying you. Furthermore, in thanks, I have prepared suitable inheritances for your sons, and enviable dowries for your daughters, to ensure they are financially sound for the remainder of their lives." The crowd erupted in applause at that announcement, and I was moved by my husband's generosity. I only hoped that once they realized the pain of the separation from their lives, as I had, that they still felt all Dracula afforded them was enough.

They continued their feast after that, and while I was pleased to see they were enjoying their last meal, the hunger in my gut had finally gotten the better of me. I stood to excuse myself from the table, and immediately fell to the floor.


	27. Making Haste

I had not been aware, until that moment, that vampires could faint. I can't say I wasn't embarrassed. There I was, standing tall beside my husband at one moment, and at the next, I had swooned like a weak damsel and fallen to the wooden floor in a shaking, hungry heap.

When I finally, fully came to, I was lying on a large bed, with four, thick mahogany posts and plush drapes hanging between all of them. This certainly was not the best way to be shown to the master suite.

Sitting by me on the bed, was Dracula. He ran his fingers gently along my brow, his eyes burning with guilt. He sighed with relief when he saw I had awoken.

"Ah, my love, there you are. Can you move?" I glanced about the room and saw a man, not old, not young, but healthy, standing in the corner. I nodded and tried to rise, but the room spun and I plopped right back down on the down pillow beneath my head. Dracula shook his head and began to scold himself.

"I should not have made you wait so long to feed. I am so sorry, Jenna."

"I'm fine, really. We have to go back to the people. I don't need them thinking the Queen they have sworn to protect is a…total…spaz." Dracula laughed.

"I do forget your true age sometimes. Spaz…not a term I hear often. The people have left, gone home to prepare for the coming days. They cannot all be changed at once without sparking some suspicion. If we work over a term of days, an illness could more easily be blamed." His countenance quickly returned to a serious scowl as he beckoned the man in the corner to the bed. "This is Josef. He is a fit man who has eaten well downstairs. He will be our first convert…after he feeds you. Prepare to sleep well…he's had a considerable amount of ale."

I gazed at the man before me. He was tall and muscular, a field hand in the village, I suspected. He walked toward me as he unbuttoned the collar of his shirt. Dracula lifted me up, propped the pillow against the headboard, and eased me back against it.

"Feed well, Jenna, but stop before his heart slows too much. Once you are sated, I will have one of my men take him home, where his body will be found dead in a couple of days. We will go for him once he's been interred. Then the work really begins. We don't have much time."

There was trepidation in Dracula's voice. He knew something I didn't. As I sank my teeth into Josef's neck, I had to wonder what it was.

After Josef had been removed from the palace, and as I quickly recovered from the hunger that had nearly taken my life, I demanded that Dracula tell me what he knew.

Little had I known, back in New York, phone calls had been made and questions had begun to be asked. With Mary Van Helsing in tow, the NYPD questioned every manager, waitress, and bartender at my club. They heard a wide array of stories about Chet, their victim, and about me, their suspect. Although the stories about Chet were far more detailed since I never let anyone I worked with get too close, my coworkers gave them every indication I had the neurological makeup of a potential lunatic. I was pale, thin, morose, and introverted. I had inexplicable scarring on my neck which "no doubt came from my bouts with self-mutilation."

As it happens, Chet had himself quite a lengthy rap sheet, including time at Riker's for sexual assault several years before I met him. Despite the police learning their "victim" was not so innocent, and strongly suspecting that their "emo" labeled target had acted in self-defense, they had a duty to continue their investigation, and couldn't give it up even if they wanted to…not with Mary Van Helsing at the proverbial helm. My descriptions came as no surprise to the police since they had been so thoroughly convinced by Mary that I was a vampire. She had already managed to explain the several unsolved homicides in the area that resulted from my early days of feeding with her theory. It wouldn't be long until Mary traced my existence back to my hometown, where I had lived…where I had died…where I had shown up, weeks after my 'death,' on my grieving parent's doorstep. She would have all the evidence in the world to support her claim that Dracula was real, and that I was in fact, a member of the undead. And then, she would come for me…for us.

Dracula was right. We had to move…quickly.


End file.
